EGYPT PRESENTS REPORTS TO COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION ON COMPLIANCE WITH CONVENTION

CERD
59th session
10 August 2001
Afternoon




The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon started its consideration of the fifteenth and sixteenth periodic reports of Egypt on how that country was implementing the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Introducing her country's report, Fayza Aboulnaga, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations Office at Geneva, told the Committee that national mechanisms had been set up to monitor the implementation of the provisions of international conventions in Egypt.

Ms. Aboulnaga said that efforts had been made to implement a number of provisions designed to ensure that the various articles of the Convention were being adhered to. On the ground, Egypt had achieved considerable progress in its pursuit of the goal of tackling health-care problems in a serious manner. In the field of the right to housing and to education, the Government had made efforts in implementing the provisions of the Convention through a number of legal and administrative measures, she said.

Ion Diaconu, the Committee Expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Egypt, said that according to Egyptian law, children born of an Egyptian mother and a foreigner could not take the nationality of their mother; but the children of an Egyptian father and a foreign mother were considered as Egyptians and enjoyed all rights. He wanted to know how many children with foreign fathers were affected by this situation of exclusion.

He recalled that the Supreme Constitutional Court had given its verdict that children should be treated equally whatsoever the origin of the father or the mother, which basically declared the unconstitutionality of the existing law. The Government should make the decision binding.

Also participating in the debate were Committee Experts, Luis Valencia Rodriguez, Regis de Gouttes, Patricia Nozipho January-Bardill, Tang Chengyuan, Marc Boussuyt, Patrick Thornberry and Raghavan Vasudevan Pillai.

The members of the Egyptian delegation also included Sana Khalil, State Counsellor and Deputy Minister of Justice; and Ibrahim Salama, Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Egypt is among the 157 States parties to the Convention and as such it must provide periodic reports on its activities designed to implement the provisions of the treaty.

The Committee will continue its consideration of the report of Egypt when it reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Monday, 13 August.


Summary of Egyptian Reports

The fifteenth and sixteenth periodic reports of Egypt, contained in one document CERD/C/384/Add.3, provide general information on the State party and comments on articles 2 to 7 of the Convention, citing the administrative, judicial and legislative measures undertaken to implement them. The document notes that the Egyptian legal system is based on the Constitution which establishes the structure of the State and defines its system of government, the powers of its public authorities, the rights and freedoms of individuals, the fundamental guarantees of those rights and freedoms and the prescribed means of redress. The Constitution further embodies all the current standards concerning human rights and freedoms as set forth in international conventions.

Recent years have witnessed an intensive wave of activity with regard to the teaching of human rights at many Egyptian universities, the report says. This activity took the form of the preparation of studies on the incorporation of human rights in academic curricula and the provision of grants for students and members of the teaching staff to attend training courses in this field inside and outside Egypt. Many universities have collaborated with international institutions and non-governmental organizations operating in the field of law and human rights with a view to developing the teaching of human rights. In the field of governmental action, public awareness plans and programmes are being implemented by all the information media.

In Egypt, culture and knowledge are disseminated mainly through books, the report notes. The Government-sponsored public authority for books is responsible for dealing with the difficulties arising from the high costs of publishing popular editions with low-cost production requirements. A cultural development fund has been established to provide loans on easy terms for the production of cinematographic films and the establishment and operation of cinemas and theatres.

The report said that Egypt does not have any notable ethnic minorities. There is full homogeneity among all the groups and communities which constitute the Egyptian population since they all speak the same language, Arabic, which is the country's official language and Arab culture predominates in all the geographical regions, both desert and coastal. There are no non-Arabic linguistic or dialectal enclaves with the exception of the oasis of Siwa which, in addition to Arabic, also has a local dialect which has been the subject of numerous academic studies and surveys. The Nubian dialect is being preserved by the cultural associations which previously resettled the population of Nubia when the Aswan high dam project inundated their ancient villages.

Presentation of Report

FAYZA ABOULNAGA, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations Office at Geneva, reaffirmed her country’s support to the success of the forthcoming World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.

Ms. Aboulnaga said that all treaties ratified by Egypt became part of domestic legislation. The Supreme Constitutional Court had made several interpretive decisions on the promotion and protection of human rights. The Government had also made efforts in expanding the teaching of human rights and the training of law enforcement officials. She said that her country had designed a policy which rejected any discrimination based on race or religion.

National mechanisms had been set up to monitor the implementation of the provisions of international conventions to ensure against discrimination based on race, Ms. Aboulnaga said. In the report, the Government had reaffirmed its policy of non-discrimination. Egypt had also contributed to the African effort against racial segregation and discrimination.

Ms. Aboulnaga said that efforts had been made in implementing a number of provisions designed to ensure that the various articles of the Convention were adhered to. On the ground, Egypt had achieved considerable progress in its pursuit of the goal of tackling health-care problems in a serious manner. In the field of the right to housing and to education, the Government had carried out efforts in implementing the provisions through a number of legal and administrative measures.

She said that her country would like to continue a fruitful dialogue with the members of the Committee and would be happy to implement their constructive suggestions in its efforts to promote and protect human rights.

SANA KHALIL, State Counsellor and Deputy Minister of Justice of Egypt, said that the Constitutional Supreme Court had adopted a series of decisions in connection with the Convention. Several departments had also been established in the Attorney General's office to deal with situations of racial discrimination.

Egypt also believed that education of human rights at an early stage of childhood allowed children to assimilate human values and to grow up in a good environment, Mr. Khalil said.

Consideration of Egyptian Report

ION DIACONU, the Committee Expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Egypt, said that the country had one of the oldest civilizations and a population of 60 million.

Mr. Diaconu said that the Egyptian Government was keen to protect the Nubian people who had a culture of their own even though there was no discrimination against them. There were also other non-Arabic minority groups residing in the country, including the Armenians and Greeks. The report had mentioned the Berber and Nubians, but their numbers were not specified.

In addition, the report did not make any mention of the economic, social and cultural conditions of minorities, Mr. Diaconu said. Also, other categories of permanent residents, such as the Sudanese, Palestinians or others, were not mentioned. It was not indicated if there were refugees in the country, and how they were hosted and treated.

Mr. Diaconu asked the delegation to provide information on the procedure to be followed in order to invoke before the Constitutional Supreme Court the unconstitutionality of a legal provision. He said that Egyptian courts were instrumental in filling gaps left by the legislature in matters concerning racial discrimination.

Egyptian authorities were also encouraged to enact specific legislation in line with article 4 of the Convention, which required States to condemn all propaganda and all organizations which were based on racial superiority.

Referring to information received from non-governmental organizations on the burning of an Orthodox Church in upper Egypt, Mr. Diaconu said that it was encouraging that the case had been put in the hands of the judiciary.

According to Egyptian law, children born of an Egyptian mother and a foreigner could not take the nationality of their mother, Mr. Diaconu said. But the children of an Egyptian father and a foreign mother were considered as Egyptians and enjoyed all rights. He wanted to know how many children with foreign fathers were affected by this situation of exclusion. He recalled that the Supreme Constitutional Court had give its verdict that children should be treated equally regardless of the origin of the father or the mother, which basically declared the unconstitutionality of the existing legal provision. The Government should make the decision binding.

Egypt had received a UNESCO prize on teaching tolerance in 1994 which was good example, Mr. Diaconu said. He encouraged the Government to continue such efforts and the application of laws designed to respect human beings.

Other Committee members also queried the Egyptian delegation on a number of issues such as the situation of Berbers, Nubians and other minority groups; socio-economic indicators on minority groups, including the nomads; the results of the anti-terrorist measures; the prohibition of an Egyptian from becoming member of the State Council if he married a foreign woman; the modality of reparation for victims of racial discrimination; the participation and organization of political parties; and the granting of refugee status.



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